May 24, 2013

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Kinder honors senior volunteers for their service (AUDIO)

May 9, 2013 By

Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder presents a Senior Service Award to one of its recipients at the State Capitol.

Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder (R) has recognized some of Missouri’s senior citizens who have made positive impacts by volunteering in their communities.

Thirty-four nominated senior citizens have become the recipients of Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder’s Senior Service Award. The award highlights the positive accomplishments and impacts made by senior citizens across the state who volunteer in their communities.

Kinder says anyone can nominate an individual as a possible candidate of the award and calls their service an inspiration. He says when he took office in 2005, he realized there were countless seniors throughout Missouri who were giving back so much to the community.

Kinder adds that they’re everyday heroes that don’t get the proper recognition that they deserve. ”I wanted to find a way to publicize positive stories about senior citizens,” he said.

Kinder says most of the winners are over 60 years of age to some in their 90′s. The oldest recipient this year is a 102 year old woman from Marshall. Kinder calls them tremendous inspirations to all Missourians. “We just wanted to shine a positive light on them and recognize them,” Kinder said.

Kinder created the Senior Service Awards in 2005. State law designates him as the state advocate for senior citizens.

Kinder says since its creation, there have been more than 200 recipients. Just last year, the awards have expanded to one winner from each of the state’s 34 Senate districts.

 

AUDIO: Mary Farucci reports. (1:02)

Filed Under: Featured, Human Interest, News Tagged With:

Attorneys argue whether health exchange issue ballot summary is biased

August 20, 2012 By

The arguments presented over a temporary restraining order give the first glimpse of attorney’s cases on whether or not the Secretary of State was biased in a ballot summary.

Cole County Courthouse, Jefferson City

The question is, is the language used by Secretary of State Robin Carnahan to summarize a ballot question about blocking state elected officials from creating a state healthcare exchange without voter or legislative approval, biased? 

It reads: “Shall Missouri law be amended to deny individuals, families, and small businesses the ability to access affordable health care plans through a state-based health benefit exchange unless authorized by statute, initiative or referendum or through an exchange operated by the federal government as required by the federal health care act?See our earlier story on the hearing on the temporary restraining order.

The attorney representing Carnahan’s side, Jeremiah Morgan, says that accurately represents the intent of the bill passed by the Republican-led legislature.

“There’s no question that efforts are being made to undermine the federal Affordable Health Care Act. Whether we as a policy matter or a political matter agree with or do not agree with, that’s what Senate Bill 464 attempts to do and this summary is attempting to do that.”

Attorney Jay Kanzler, representing several GOP elected officials, says Carnahan wrote “obvious” bias into the summary.

“Secretary of State Carnahan’s language, talking about denying families and individuals access to affordable healthcare, frankly doesn’t even come close to describing what the ballot issue would do.”

The attorney representing the Secretary of State’s Office, Jeremiah Morgan, says the Republicans’ lawsuit only looks at part of the ballot summary.

“They skipped this important language, as it says, ‘through a state-based health benefit exchange.’ So it says families, small businesses, so forth will not have the opportunity to have a formal health plan through a state-based exchanged, unless passed by the legislature or unless passed by referendum, or through a federally based plan, and that’s exactly what Senate Bill 464 does.”

Kanzler argues that when one looks at the ballot issue as a whole, it becomes more confusing.

“It says ‘deny individuals, families and small businesses the ability to access affordable healthcare through state-based health benefit exchanges unless authorized by statute, initiative or referendum … so you’re saying deny that or deny the second part. Mr. Morgan lays out there that this is in fact clear. It’s not clear.”

Kanzler maintains that the summary is misleading.

“This initiative does not ‘deny.’ It gives the voters … the people of Missouri a choice to either vote in state based health insurance exchanges or accept federally based healthcare exchanges.”

A summary judgement hearing in the case is scheduled for August 28. Cole County Circuit Judge Dan Green has taken the motion for a temporary restraining order under advisement.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Elections, Featured, News, Politics & Government Tagged With: , , ,

Ruling expected today on halt to November ballot certification

August 17, 2012 By

A Cole County judge has taken under advisement a request for a temporary restraining order against the Secretary of State to stop her from certifying ballots for November. Judge Dan Green says he will issue a decision later today.

Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder and Secretary of State Robin Carnahan

The suit was filed by Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder and several GOP lawmakers. They say the ballot language written by Secretary of State Robin Carnahan for an issue that would bar state officials from creating a state health insurance exchange without legislative or voter approval is biased and misleading.

Their attorney, Jay Kanzler, argued that with the summary judgement hearing scheduled for August 28, it could be a matter of hours after that, that Secretary of State Robin Carnahan would certify that issue. “If the Secretary of State does certify this ballot on the 28th, and it goes out and the local election officials end up printing that ballot and this court rules that the language is improper, then those ballots have to be reprinted.

The attorney for Carnahan’s position, Jeremiah Morgan, says that argument is moot. “The local election authorities will not be printing those ballots until the presidential primaries are concluded and those candidates are to be included. So the threat of potential reprinting does not exist, certainly until September 13.”

Morgan also argued that the restraining order would go too far, by putting a hold on the entire ballot. “In fact if you read their request for relief, that’s exactly what they seek. That kind of relief is intolerable in these circumstances.”

A summary judgement hearing in the case is scheduled for August 28.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Elections, Featured, Legislature, News, Politics & Government Tagged With: , , ,

Ag leaders and elected officials discuss emergency cost-share effectiveness

August 17, 2012 By

Governor Jay Nixon says the emergency cost-share program he implemented has slowed the sell-off of cattle from the state. Some critics, though, are questioning its effectiveness and where the money is coming from, and accusing him of using it to get exposure for his campaign for re-election.

Agriculture Director Jon Hagler explained this graph to members of the governor’s cabinet, agriculture leaders, media members and others at a drought update at the State Fair. Courtesy, the Missouri Department of Agriculture. (Click to view larger version.)

During a meeting of some of the Governor’s cabinet members at the State Fair for a drought update, Agriculture Director Jon Hagler tells Nixon what data supports the claim the program is working, with a study of 550 pound steers in the state and their value between June 8 and August 15.

“We announced the executive order on (July 23). You can see that on the twenty-seventh we begin what is a change in the price … a steady decline in the market … this is only Missouri … a steady decline turns around and starts increasing in our 550 pounds steers and if you look, volume starts to trail off. I think we’re having … it’s not the sole factor … but I think the livestock program in particular is having a significant calming impact.”

Missouri Cattlemen’s Association President Lonnie Duckworth says the program is helping, but he describes it as a “band-aid.”

“When you look at 108,000 farms in this state and the money he has available to him is going to help about 450 farm operations. That’s not just beef cattle. That’s spread over beef, poultry, dairy and I’ve also heard some irrigation wells for some crop farmers.”

The latest update from the Governor’s office says about 4,600 applications have been approved at a cost of about 4,800 dollars each. That adds up to over 22 million dollars. The program began with 2 million dollars from the Soil and Water Commission. 4.8 million was kicked in later, and Nixon says now the Commission is looking for more.

“We’re working with them to find other cost share resources in that area. I had a good session with the chairman and those folks this week … we’re also looking on our side, on the emergency management side, through the state emergency management expense line to find resources. Also, our community development block grants are used to increase economic development in those areas. We’ll find those resources there.”

Nixon says the program has an economic development component by adding lasting value to the properties improved under it. He also says the program is helping to maintain the state’s rank as the number two cow-calf state in the nation.

Governor Jay Nixon answers questions for members of the media after the Governor’s Ham Breakfast at the Missouri State Fair.

“We want to stay there. If folks are selling their herds, we’re not going to be. I understand you’ve got to sell off some and cull here and there, but if we have a year in which we dramatically drop, then the investment it would take by Missouri families to get back up there would be too daunting. So our goal is to keep the same herd out there.”

Asked whether the state can maintain that number two ranking, Duckworth says, “It’s questionable.

“I can’t remember if it was Nebraska or Oklahoma was number two last year … I believe it was Oklahoma. Of course they were very dry last year. They had to sell off a number of cows. That catapulted us back into the second spot. It may turn around this year, but Oklahoma’s not a whole lot better off than we are … Oklahoma and northern Texas. Now central Texas and on south seem to be in a much better condition, and some of our breeding cows that are being sold here are going to Texas.”

Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder accuses Nixon of using the cost-share program to travel the state for exposure during campaign season. He says he’s heard the program was “not going over well” in Neosho, but can offer no details.

“I gotta tell you I heard this third hand. I was not in Neosho, I was in Joplin and Springfield and I heard that when you drill down into this program, there wasn’t much there. It was hard to access this program. It was more of another photo-op for the photo-op governor than it was a real program that really assists people.”

Duckworth says he applauds the Governor for trying to do something.

“He knows that agriculture is a very important and integral part of our state economy … and he has budget constraints obviously. You can’t help everybody, but hopefully at least it will help some people and it’s a gallant effort on his part to try to do that and recognize agriculture’s importance in this state.”

Filed Under: Agriculture, Drought, News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Republicans to file court challenge to health exchange ballot language

July 5, 2012 By

Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder doesn’t like Secretary of State Robin Carnahan’s ballot language for an issue related to the federal health care law, and he says he’s going to fight it in court.

Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder and Secretary of State Robin Carnahan

The issue would bar the Governor from creating a health insurance exchange as related to the Affordable Care Act unless lawmakers or voters give him that authority. Kinder says the summary Carnahan has released to describe that issue on the November ballot is misleading.

It reads: “Shall Missouri law be amended to deny individuals, families, and small businesses the ability to access affordable health care plans through a state-based health benefit exchange unless authorized by statute, initiative or referendum or through an exchange operated by the federal government as required by the federal health care act?

“No direct costs or savings for state and local governmental entities are expected from this proposal. Indirect costs or savings related to enforcement actions, missed federal funding, avoided implementation costs, and other issues are unknown.”

Kinder says, “To use the very active verb ‘deny’ individuals, families and small businesses the ability to access affordable healthcare plans is outrageously biased. On its face it’s biased. I have not talked to anyone who believes it’s fair.” He says the language is worded “as though the Obama White House had written the language to illicit from Missouri voters a negative result.”

Kinder says he’ll file a lawsuit challenging the wording, “if not Friday then early next week at the latest.” He adds that House Speaker Steven Tilley (R-Perryville) and Senate Majority Floor Leader Tom Dempsey (R-St. Charles) have already committed to joining that suit.

Kinder says he won’t use public money for the suit, adding he doesn’t anticipate any problems getting private dollars to back it.

Carnahan’s office, in a statement, says “This office has always followed our legal obligation to provide Missourians with fair and sufficient summaries of ballot initiatives, and this summary is no different.”

Secretary of State Spokesman Ryan Hobart adds, “we feel it confident it will hold up in court,” and points out the state legislature had an opportunity to write its own ballot language and did not.

Filed Under: Featured, Insurance, Legislature, News, Politics & Government Tagged With: , , , , ,